A dance of lead and blood in Kashmir…

A father looks at his son’s lifeless body, unsure if he is dreaming or awake. Surely, the boy will soon go about his business as he has for 17 years; tears well up in his eyes. Fathers are not supposed to cry. And, where is his mother? Why is she silent? She looks strangely incapable of speaking. Who are these other people gathered here? They want Azaadi? The father only wants his son to wake up. That would be his Azaadi. A crushing weight sets on his heart. He wants to rip it out. Why won’t the boy’s mother say something? Anything? The boy was just playing with his friends 30 minutes back and now he refuses to get up. Hot lead in his veins has stopped the blood cold in its tracks. Oh this heartache; why won’t it stop? Will it ever stop?

As this father contemplates life without his son, there are countless other fathers and mothers who have fallen silent, their rage so immense that words cannot express the depth of their loss. Contemplating a lifetime without those young ones who they fed and washed and nurtured and…just loved, is just impossible. What will life be for these unfortunate people? Who will console the inconsolable? Who will make things whole? But, things will never be whole again.

Throw a stone and get a bullet. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. But, it is like this in Kashmir. Over a 100 lives later, there is still no stopping the hot lead from freezing the Kashmiri’s hot blood. How many fathers have to bury their children? How many mothers will have to sit stone-faced for the rest of their lives?

Until next time...

Kashmir burns...

Three months and almost 70 lives later we are still in a zombie-like state in Kashmir. A government, irresponsible and callous; their opponents without a sense of direction. There are no easy solutions, otherwise we would have seen one emerge in the last 20 years. So, what is to be done? Not sure but perhaps we should not try to deal with everything at once but break down the problem into smaller pieces and see if some little progress might lead to a little progress further down the road. So, let's scratch our brains and see if we can come up with something half decent.

Until next time...

While I am on Omar Abdullah, where is the new employment policy?

I was impressed to learn that the government was coming out with a new employment policy. Half a million jobs were to be created and many good things were to happen. Of course, when I tried to get my hands on the policy document, I couldn't find it. Is it too much to ask that when our government announces a major policy, the public ought to know what is being proposed? Shouldn't we have easy access to such important documents? Of course, the government's website is in disarray and even the vaunted Google was unable to locate this document.

Newspaper accounts indicate that the young Chief Minister was exhorting the youth of the state to look for jobs in the private sector. That is a worthy message...but the new employment policy is about creating more jobs in the public sector. They've got to be kidding! Reducing the demand for government jobs by creating new government jobs...that is sound public policy. Not.

Until next time...

Modern Government? Surely Omar Abdullah is better than this.

When Omar Abdullah took over the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, there seemed to be an impression that the beleaguered state was getting a dynamic administration. Technology would be used more and business as usual would go by the wayside. Alas, how hard it is to change things.

One example of the sorry state of affairs is the website of the state government (http://jammukashmir.nic.in/). Simply put, it is a disaster. Does Omar Abdullah ever bother to go there. It doesn't even have basic information in there. If you can't even get your flagship website to work properly, what hope do you have in implementing policies and programs for improving the lives of millions of people in a complex governance environment? No chance!

Until next time.

More money after bad...

As Omar Abdullah tries to make his first moves as the new Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, change appears to be in the air. A young, articulate leader with some pragmatism and a dash of idealism is perhaps what J&K needs. He is trying to woo major businesses to invest in the state and he is making the right noises about corruption. But, there are disturbing signs that Omar may turn out to be not much different than his predecessors.

J&K does not need quick fixes; in fact, I am pretty sure there are no quick fixes to the state's sad legacy of misgovernance, corruption, politics of patronage, government overreach, stifling of private enterprise, and a population excessively dependent on the government. This is clearly not an exhaustive list. The problems in J&K are many more and there just aren't enough good people to help solve the problems of the state. To reverse the problems that have accumulated over decades will not be solved overnight. That just won't happen and the Chief Minister needs to first understand it himself and then explain that to the people in the state. It is a mindset thing; the people in J&K need to rethink things, change their approach to development, and settle in for a series of reforms that takes years if not decades to accomplish.

But, as I mentioned earlier, the signs aren't that good. I just came across some news items about how there is a proposal to build a cable car over the Dal Lake, Then I heard that the Chief Minister was doing the rounds in Delhi to seek funding for new colleges and that his finance minister is planning to seek more funds from the central government (J&K gets most of its funding from Delhi) after inheriting a deficit of Rs. 13,772 crores ($2.75 billion equivalent) from the previous government. In addition, there are more demands by state employees to increase their salaries by Rs. 1,380 crores ($275 million) per year. What the state's employees have accomplished in the last 4-5 decades is still not clear but we do know that most people would call the government machinery corrupt, inefficient, and a drain on the state's resources that are derived from the poor Indian taxpayer.

My first piece of advice to the new government and those in Delhi is to stop wasting money in J&K. For example, why does the state government have departments for floriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, fisheries, and so many other useless offices? Are they doing some groundbreaking research that we can't live without? Why does the government operate hotels and tourist huts? Where is the report on the profitability of the Gulmarg Gondola project? When resources are tight, tough choices must be made. But, when the Indian taxpayer keeps supplying money without asking for any accountability, it is no surprise that there is so much waste and corruption in J&K.

Take a hard look at what is needed in the short, medium, and long-term and chalk out a plan which has input from international experts on a range of issues including reducing the size of government, improving the climate for private enterprise and investment, reviewing the state's infrastructure needs, putting together a comprehensive strategy for improving health and education indicators, and improving tax policies and administration and other key issues. Real change requires a radical departure from old, discredited ideas and practices. In places like J&K, real change won't be easy. But, it is possible...with the right approach.

Until next time...

What should Omar do?

As the young chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir takes charge, I wonder what his vision will be and how much he can accomplish. There is much to do and the 6 year tenure of the new government is only going to be a down payment for a long process of development...that too if Mr. Abdullah's team does the right things and does them well.

It will be my endeavor to provide some ideas for his administration. I hope others contribute as well. Perhaps in our small part of the world we can make a difference. Let's think big.

Until next time...

Some introspection, mostly denial

The results for the state assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are but a few hours away. While some people must be eagerly awaiting the outcome of this incredibly long (and surprising) election season, others have got to be wondering about what this election really means to Kashmiri politics.

As we have now gathered from newspaper and eyewitness accounts, people participated in large numbers in these elections. This in spite of the boycott call by the myriad separatist groups that operate in Kashmir. Many separatists and their sympathizers have argued that these elections are a sham perpetrated by the Indian government. The presence of a large number of Indian troops facilitated the conduct of this election and people were really not voting for India or its democracy but for every day governance issues. Besides, the separatists argue, they weren't allowed to actively spread their message of poll boycott, their leaders were imprisoned etc. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to the separatists that more people voted in Srinagar district this time than have done in the past twenty or so years. There are some separatists who are initiating some "introspection" on why people voted at a time when the "nation" was engaged in a "struggle" for self determination. This latter group is still in a minority. Those in denial continue to dominate separatist groups. They must have shut their eyes and ears as reports kept pouring in of people waiting in long lines in cold temperatures to cast their ballot. Barring minor incidents, most observers and newspapers reported that people came out to vote without facing any coercion from the military forces or officialdom. Arguments to the contrary are ludicrous.

While I don't believe that Kashmiris have suddenly turned into India lovers, their participation in elections suggests to me that they are being pragmatic. It has been clear for almost two decades that Kashmiri separatists are for the most part an unimaginative bunch of self serving politicians who have failed completely in put forward a coherent framework for Kashmir's future. We should also not lose sight of the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a very diverse region, with Kashmiris the largest ethnic group but even among them there are divisions about what direction to adopt. So, it seems that the separatists have been squeezed into a corner because they could never put forward a strategy for broadening their base. Their vision was so small that they are now grateful that Srinagar and its surroundings saw "only" about a 20 percent voting rate. It is my opinion that in this election, Kashmiri Muslims (forget for the moment people from Jammu or Ladakh or Kashmiri Hindus) have rejected the current crop of separatists, each and every one of the 30 or 40 or however many groups parade around as leaders of the "nation".

Indian democracy has many failings and perhaps it cannot assure the kind of future that Kashmiris (or others) may want. However, for the moment, Kashmiris and the rest of the people in the state deserve good governance, a war on corruption, and accountability at the highest levels. Jammu and Kashmir also needs a vision for the next 25 years to see how it can develop into a progressive region that can contribute in a positive way to helping resolve the more thorny, long-term political issues that have confounded the subcontinent for almost 6 decades.

Until next time...

Bombay, Mumbai...

Call it by whatever name you like, this great Indian city has taken the brunt of terrorist attacks over the last few years. I do not have the words to fully express the outrage I feel, this sense of helplessness, yet a sense of determination to counter ideologies that promote the kind of hatred and violence Bombay has witnessed in the last 3 days. I truly hope that the masterminds behind this latest terrorist outrage are brought to justice without delay.

And, let these terrorists not use the name of Kashmir to justify their cowardly acts; nothing can justify the calamity that befell Bombay...nothing.

Kashmiris Spring a Surprise

Maintaining a blog is difficult it seems. Writing regularly requires far greater discipline than I possess but perhaps that is because my mind works in fits and starts. In any event, after the crazy times of the Amarnath Yatra controversy the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir provide another opportunity to write. So, that is what I am going to do.

Basically, this post is about the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Against expectations Kashmiris have voted in fairly large numbers and that is going to raise many questions for all the players, most of all for separatists who are becoming increasingly marginalized in the state’s politics. In my view they deserve it.

The ongoing election process is long but early returns have thrown up an interesting scenario—Kashmiris are voting in large numbers ignoring pleas of separatists to boycott the polls. In its wisdom, the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to hold the state assembly election over 7 phases—yes, 7! But my early misgivings about the length of the exercise, especially given the dire predictions of poll boycotts and low voter turnout in the aftermath of the Amarnath controversy, have given way to a degree of anticipation in the wake of relatively high voter turnout in the first two phases of the election.

Unlike past elections, voters seem to have largely voted of their free will. Local newspapers appear to confirm that voter turnout has been much higher than anticipated. What is more, it seems that voters are turning out without many serious allegations about involuntary voting as was alleged in past elections. Of course, there have been some allegations about fraud and clashes between political groups but the overall message appears to be that people in Kashmir (not to mention Jammu and Ladakh) are voting in respectable numbers. All this is happening in spite of a poll boycott call sponsored by various separatist groups. Anti-election protestors have been curbed to some extent by the government but even this hasn’t had much impact on voter turnout. It also appears that the poll boycott is being heeded (to some extent) in urban areas but largely ignored in rural settings. This is creating quite a stir in Kashmir and perhaps also among observers in New Delhi and Islamabad.

What does the higher than anticipated voter turnout suggest about Kashmir’s political situation? Does this mean people in Kashmir have reconciled to being Indians? Is the Kashmir problem solved? Are separatists losing their hold over Kashmiris? Are people simply voting for good governance, keeping in abeyance their aspirations for a long-term solution to the Kashmir problem? All these are good questions that have no immediate good answers. Overall, it does seem that people want some peace and stability even if they may still want a long-term solution to the Kashmir problem. I wouldn’t say that the pro-India politicians should be jumping up and down with joy and take credit for getting people to vote. Kashmiri politicians have largely disgraced themselves over the years. The Indian government should also not feel to comfortable with this situation even though it might certainly heave a sigh of relief that things are moving in a direction that is certainly not a negative one for India.

Kashmiri separatists are at a crossroads. The one group that really needs to start worrying is the separatist camp. In fact, I have for a long time felt that Kashmiri separatists were a bunch that did not deserve the loyalty of Kashmiri people. Ever since the “movement” started in Kashmir, the separatists have shown themselves to be corrupt opportunists who lacked cohesiveness and a vision and a plan. They simply lucked out that Kashmiris were so resentful of Indian rule. Time and again as the separatists faltered, Indian (and Pakistani) interventions propped them up either by design or by folly. However, the separatists have never really acknowledged that they have a limited following in the state. Of course, they never had any following in much of the Jammu and Ladakh provinces. In Kashmir, they did have support but it was never clear how much since there was no feasible way to find that out. But, my suspicions have proved correct. The separatists really don’t have much support in Kashmir—possibly in the towns and in some rural areas but I would bet that if an internationally supervised election were to be held in just Kashmir (forget Jammu and Ladakh), the Hurriyats led by Mr. Geelani and Mr. Farooq would not get more votes than mainstream politicians. They claim to represent the state. They don’t even represent Kashmir, much less Jammu and Ladakh. I really believe that to be the case. And, the reason for that is that they really haven’t done anything to earn the respect and trust of Kashmiris.

This is my assessment and I am willing to be persuaded that I am wrong. But, if the early trends in voting patterns continue, Kashmiri separatists will have to think hard about their future direction. But wait, the separatists haven’t thought about the future for almost twenty years since the “movement” began. There really isn’t much chance that they are going to begin now. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

India continues failed policies in Kashmir

As the situation in Jammu and Kashmir continues to worsen, I am beginning to wonder about the maturity of India's political leadership.  The government has rolled out its tough security apparatus to smother dissent and the right of Kashmiri people to protest peacefully.  Curfew has been imposed in Kashmir and people are prisoners in their own homes.  Such tactics are nothing new.  These are the same failed policies that for almost twenty years have been unable to deal with Kashmiri alienation.  I am afraid more of the same is just not going to cut it.  New ideas should be put on the table to start a process for a sustainable resolution of the "Kashmir issue".  In the meantime, Indian democracy is in an untenable position with millions of voices silenced by the government's guns.  If India is to reach its goal of being one of the leading  nations of the twenty-first century, democracy cannot be turned on or off according to the convenience of those in power.  Attached below are some interesting articles that explore next steps in Kashmir.

Pankaj Mishra

Prem Shankar Jha

Vir Sanghvi

Harish Khare

Arundhati Roy

Until next time...